Moments from Beyond Perfection
by psytronix
Summary: A look into the life of Commander Shepard and the bonds made in his journey through the galaxy, through a series of oneshots. Discover what happens when a Messianic Super Soldier is reduced to a shadow of what he once was. M!Shep/MassiveHarem, Mass Genderbends.
1. Mass Effect 1 Intro

A/N: Hi there, everybody.

Let me explain.

I was playing through Mass Effect – 1 through to 3, and I thought "Hey, why not make a better ending? I disliked 3's quick and choppy ending."

After that, it just devolved. I thought "Hey, why not make Shepard superhuman? More so than he actually is in game?" And of course, after I began writing the story, I also thought "Hey, why not have some genderbends?" Which then devolved further into "Hey, why not have allllll the genderbends?"

This story is called "Moments from Beyond Perfection" because I wanted to call the original story "Beyond Perfection", in the sense that Shepard was to be beyond superhuman in this story.

I thought to myself that I really didn't want to write an entirely new story, only to follow it from start to end, for 3 or 4 years. I just don't want to use that much time, and end up being stuck in a point I don't want to be stuck in.

The "Moments" part insinuates that you'll only read snippets of the character's lives, with romance scenes and whatnot (akin to my Monster Musume story), but with some action sprinkled here and there.

So, after 200 words, here is Moments from Beyond Perfection.

* * *

"We have to save the Council, Ash!"

"What the hell has the Council done for us!? Let them use their dreadnought, Commander!" Ashley suggested.

The man in question, Commander John Shepard of the Alliance Navy, and Spectre of the Citadel Council, shook his head.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ash! Commander, humanity will _never_ be trusted if we let the Council die! As much as I hate to say it… We need some of the Alliance's fleet to save the Destiny Ascension." Kaida countered.

"Are you seriously thinking of sacrificing marines for those stuck up bastards, Alenko!?"

"Alenko, Williams, shut it! It's my call, and, as much as I hate to say it – we need to save the Council."

"We're not _wasting lives_ for those alien bastards!"

"No one said anything about our women dying out there." Shepard said, with a ghostly voice imbuing his own.

He then went limp, his senses being transferred elsewhere.

And then, a dreadnought shot its way through the Ilos Relay, towards the Citadel…

(…)

The year is 2183.

For some years, human-kind has been part of the neighbourhood of the stars.

For some years, the Milky Way Galaxy has felt the wrath of an attempt at damage control gone wrong.

To some, it was known as blight on the Galaxy. A successful genocide attempt.

To its creators, and the rest, it was known as the Genophage.

Engineered by the ingenious Salarians, and deployed and weaponized by the militaristic Turians, the Genophage was intended to be used as a last resort against the uprising Krogan threat.

A threat which the Salarians had created to fend off their now-extinct Rachni foes.

Its effects were not realised fully, until the Turian military unit tasked with activating the plague put it into place. The Salarians were sure of it – they had tested it in both theoretical and practical situations prior, with no effects like they had seen at its true deployment.

It was meant to quell the Krogan, to reduce the number of their live births to one in a thousand. The Genophage did that, and so much more. Infertility spread across the Galaxy, with billions of viable births going silent, children dying in their mother's arms – their chances of life ripped away due to a simple mistake.

This spread to Earth, early in its technological history. As we reached the new millennium, women numbered in the billions as the history of "man" began to slowly wither away. This led to the soar of interest in genetic engineering, and genetic synthesis. Humanity had reached a standstill in what they could learn.

But, in the year 2148, explorers on Mars discovered the remains of an ancient spacefaring civilization. In the decades that followed, these mysterious artifacts revealed startling new technologies, enabling travel to the furthest stars. The basis for this incredible technology was a force that controlled the very fabric of space and time.

They called it the greatest discovery in human history.

The civilizations of the galaxy call it...

Mass Effect.

(In the year 2156)

Hannah and Adam Shepard, a married couple looking to conceive, were in the office of a Salarian geneticist named Rhenan. A female of her species, Rhenan twitched as she looked over the clipboard containing the profiles and medical history of both parents. An Alliance soldier and a Citadel Security officer leaned up against adjacent walls, facing each other in the bleak light of the room.

Rhenan appeared jittery, even for a Salarian.

"Lieutenant, Chief… This is not going to be easy. You two are easily some of the most genetically sound soldiers in the Alliance. A normal pre-emptive procedure would've been fine, but this is…" Rhenan began, at a loss for words as she went on. Hannah furrowed her brow and solidified her stare to the Salarian woman.

"We've given our consent. As long as the child is mine and Adam's, as long as we get to raise him or her how we wish, then they have our agreement." As she said this, the tiniest of clicks could be heard, and Adam's eyes landed on the C-Sec and Alliance staff, who shifted subtly. Recording devices were visible on either's wrist, and the Shepard family turned their heads back to Rhenan.

"Yes… But the health risks of having this child are greater than average – on the both of you. The normal birth rate average amongst healthy patients is only around ten per cent - and the process of having this child would reduce that by half, or more!" Rhenan continued, the worry for her patient building and building. She had seen too many mothers leave her office empty handed.

Adam held Hannah's hand tightly. Although this entire experience felt emasculating, he still trusted his wife. And he would stand by her and her decisions.

"I understand, doctor. Our child will be the best damn thing they can be… And we'd like to give them as much help as possible." Hannah said strongly, her charm winning over the doctor's reluctance. Rhenan signed her full familial name onto the bottom of the page, and handed a copy of the file to the Alliance and C-Sec staff.

Hannah and Adam were led to a private room, in silence, and with a hopeful bounce in their steps.

It was true, the Shepard family came from a line of talented and skilled combatants, medics, and researchers. Hannah's dormant biotic ability and Adam's knowledge and interest in engineering were some gifts they had their predecessors to thank for. They were two of the best aboard the SSV Kilimanjaro, and were smitten the day they met.

After the news of their relationship spread to the higher ups, and as soon as clearance was granted by officials about the Alliance dreadnought, they married, and were contacted by the Alliance command and the representatives of the Citadel Council, who both expressed interest in grooming the would-be child of the Shepards into a soldier of greatness.

It was all to give hope to the bleak time they lived in. Both parties had stakes in what they wanted out of the child, and both had convinced the Shepard family to undertake this method of raising their child.

Months later, after rigorous testing and operations done to the unborn foetus, a new Shepard was born.

(…)

Bits and pieces of genetic data were borrowed from the best and brightest of the Citadel races. Even their outliers, such as the Humans, Volus, and Elcor brought forth their primes to build their Saviour.

From the Krogan, thanks to the Salarian gene factories, Commander Shepard gained his Herculean strength, and his towering height.

From the Salarians, Shepard gained his eyes – built in with a secondary set of eyelids. Parts of the Salarian brain anatomy were copied over and applied to the developing Shepard child – to enhance his thinking capability and observational skills.

From the Turians, the boy's bones were augmented with bio-metallic alloys that gestated within his body, making him both lighter, and harder to break. His skin was melded and adapted against harsh solar rays, as well.

From the Asari, the boy gained use of Mass Effect fields, and biotic abilities, without the need for Biotic Amps.

Yet, he remained Human. Above all, the saviour of the Milky Way was packaged in human skin, and was raised to be a champion, learning from the best of the best of the best, engaging in any and all forms of combat or negotiations he would be allowed to.

Put simply, in a galaxy where "normal" humans could bend reality to their will, Shepard was a superhuman.

(In the year 2183…)

"My vote's for Shepard. He's a spacer. Lived aboard starships most his life." Councillor Udina suggested.

"Military service runs in the family. Both his parents were in the navy…" Commander David Anderson added, staring into space.

"He proved himself in The Blitz…" Admiral Steven Hackett added in agreement. His mind was set on whom to suggest for Spectre candidacy to the Council.

()

John Shepard pulled himself up to the bar, muscles flaring, and breathed, as memories hit him of his previous missions. Every life lost and saved, every tactic employed by him and the enemy, every gunshot and explosion, etched into his memory. He managed not to break stride, or to lose count, as these events played back in his mind.

"Batarians have penetrated the colonies defences!" A civilian called, running and searching frantically to protect his loved ones. Shepard and some other Alliance marine units were on shore leave, but saddled up and garnered what gear they could.

When it came to quelling any unrest, it was Shepard who rallied the militia and civilian forces to hold out against the Batarian force. As the SSV Agincourt tore down pirate ships in the space above them, so did the human forces of Elysium repel the Batarian insurgence.

Johnny didn't like to show emotion. But when he heard the combined battle cry of a human militia defending their home, he couldn't help but crack a smile. John Shepard was only twenty at the time of the Skyllian Blitz, and it was the first time he'd used the full extent of his biotic powers.

It was coming towards the end of the Batarian's skirmish, and Alliance reinforcements were unable to land. It was the inception of a never-before-seen biotic technique that Shepard used to throw back waves of Batarians, allowing reinforcements to drop and resecure the area.

It was the raw power of the blue field and the smile Shepard gave the invading force that earned him an unsavoury nickname amongst the pirate remnants.

And when the race of four-eyed aliens met Shepard, they unknowingly began their journey into galactic camaraderie.

Another pull-up.

()

"He pulled a god-damn miracle on Akuze." Anderson added again. His mind was set on suggesting Shepard, too. The man had been made to be the Beacon of humanity, unofficially, and was striving to prove himself ever further.

()

Another pull-up. This one he faltered in, as he hung down low after the shaky rep.

His mind drifted to Akuze, and how the mighty Thresher Maw attempted to feast upon his unit at night.

Fifty of the fifty marines that were sent to investigate the missing colonists survived, even with the Thresher Maw's surprise attack. It would've been much less if not for Shepard's quick distractive, retaliatory action.

He remembered the night vividly. The ground quaked beneath the sleeping marines, and Shepard awoke first. A light sleep gave him his heightened senses, and he was able to divert the attention of the Thresher Maw away from the squad, using flares and a noisemaker on his omni-tool. Other marines took to firing at the beast as Shepard directed it around the outskirts of their camp.

As a storm of bullets rained down upon the carnivorous creature, it thrashed about and roared into the night sky, before collapsing on the ground of Akuze. An evac was called, and the soldiers left the planet, marking the dangers associated with it to warn future settlers.

Another pull-up. This one was steadier.

()

"He's got an impressive public awareness. Torfan could've spelt the end of our relations with other species, but Shepard made it a public relations parade for the Alliance." Udina chuckled. Her vote was too, sealed.

()

Another pull-up.

Torfan came to his mind, as it happened only a year after the events of Akuze unfolded. It was a retaliatory action against the Batarian pirates for Elysium.

Shepard didn't like to kill. To fight and kill was a last resort Shepard hated but never wavered to take.

Shepard preferred to convert. Why kill the enemy when they can become your friend? Instead of both sides losing, why not strengthen the other?

And yes, you might've argued that some situations were impossible to negotiate. But the word "impossible" meant little to Shepard.

Major Kyle had led the assault on Torfan, which, in the end, resulted in 4 casualties, out of a few thousand possible casualties. After their existing commanders were killed or captured, any remaining pirate resistance surrendered, and were taken into Alliance imprisonment.

Any soldier who held a grudge against their enemies for their attempted invasion of Elysium was straightened out by Shepard, who, through another impromptu, inspiring speech, convinced them that a slaughter would only worsen their relationship with the Batarian Hegemony.

Even if they were allegedly an abrasive and aggressive species by nature, humanity would've been better off _not_ killing a horde of pirates that were probably supported by the totalitarian Hegemony.

The avoidance of major bloodshed showed the compassion of humanity, with the extra effect of making them look better to other races.

After one year in imprisonment, the Batarian forces were let go, with some even being given the option of conversion to the Citadel's security.

The Batarian Redeemer Squads would later go down as the peacemakers of their kind, following in the footsteps of their Paragon.

Another pull-up.

()

"We can't question his courage." Udina said with another, mirthful chuckle.

"Humanity needs a hero, and Shepard is the best we've got." Anderson quipped. The three agreed, silently.

"I think we can all agree there was no need for this discussion… But I'll make the call."

()

John fell from the bar and crouched down low, taking deep breaths. He quickly showered and dressed himself in armour, ready ahead of time to travel to Eden Prime.

The man headed his way out of the barracks to the bridge of the Normandy.

Shepard was a biological miracle, mixed in with some "hand-of-God" meddling from the wealthy benefactors who needed their hero. Alliance governors and presidents paid for training and upkeep, where the Council had covertly provided biotic counselling and advanced genetic modifications the young human boy would need to become perfect.

Every single movement was calculated, and every muscle or twitch in the man's body was controlled and monitored.

"The Arcturus Prime Relay is in range… Initiating transmission sequence." Jess "Joker" Moreau said over the Normandy comms. Shepard walked out from the elevator, nodding to a crewmember as they passed each other.

"We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination." Joker continued, as Shepard smiled and nodded to the Normandy's navigator, Charlotte Pressly.

"The relay is hot - acquiring approach vector…" Joker went on, Shepard appearing at the helm, noticing the presence of the Turian Spectre Nihilus. Her mandibles twitched as Shepard's scent entered her nostrils.

"All stations, secure for transit." Joker announced, Shepard patting another crewmember on their shoulder.

"The board is green… Approach run has begun." With that, Shepard peered out of the starship windows and silently awed at the size and presence of the tuning-fork shaped relay, its spinning, shimmering core glistening with unknown power.

"Hitting the relay in 3… 2… 1." The Normandy was hurled across the vastness of the Milky Way, landing in the Exodus Cluster. Shepard remained passive as he stared out and witnessed the event. Nihilus' position remained completely still, as she too, stared out into the vastness of the space before them.

"Thrusters… Check. Navigation… Check. Internal emissions sink engaged… All systems online. Drift… Just under fifteen-hundred K." Joker reported, silently sighing as she loosened her controls over the Normandy.

"Fifteen-hundred is good. Your captain will be pleased." Nihilus complimented, nodding to Shepard as she turned and made her way to Anderson. Joker's shoulders slumped as she let out a huffy breath.

"I hate her." She said quietly, drawing the attention of a worn-down, fed-up Kaida Alenko. Like a true Alliance marine, she had her hair cut short and simple. She smiled at the ace pilot.

"Nihilus gives you a compliment… So you hate her?"

"You remember to zip up your flightsuit on your way out of the bathroom this morning? That's good." Jess began. Kaida shook her head and peered up the Commander, who smiled down at his crew.

"I just slingshotted us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a-"

"You know, I really regret coming up to the bridge to say hi. Don't know why, I just do."

"Nice, nice, real smooth, Alenko. Teasing me in front of the Commander so you can look cool." Joker didn't even peer back behind her to confirm it was in fact Shepard. She knew from the soft "clunks" of his thick combat boots.

Kaida chuckled and shook her head.

"Settle down, soldiers. I've got a feeling we're supposed to be looking good for our Turian guest." Shepard warned the two of them quietly.

"What makes you say that? The eighteen checks Captain Anderson made me double up on, or the fact that Adams has been running herself ragged for the past 8 hours?" Joker joked. The Normandy's XO chuckled to himself, and shook his head at the pilot.

"Both, and the fact that you look like you've done your hair up." He teased her, gaining some giggles from the LC. Jess ruffled her own hair up in response.

"You two are assholes."

Joker's comm-screen buzzed to life, and Anderson's face appeared, looking as grim as ever.

"Joker, could you please send Shepard to the Communications room?" He asked her.

"Of course, Captain. Watch out though, you've got Nihilus coming your way." Jess said, lowly. Anderson's face noticeably cringed, and he sighed.

"She's already here, Jess." With that, Anderson turned his screen off, and left the scorned pilot to the mercy of Kaida.

"Oooooh, he used your actual name! Anderson's gonna be pissed, Joker…"

(…)

"Captain, Nihilus." Shepard greeted the two with a salute.

"At ease, Shepard."

"I won't bullshit you, son. We're doing a covert pick-up on Eden Prime." Anderson stated, with darting glances between the two soldiers. The human man nodded curtly.

Silence fell on the group as Nihilus began stalking around Shepard. The Alliance soldier remained completely impassive as the Turian evaluated him.

"You humans are always so expansive. This quick takeover of barren land in the Terminus system has proved that." She reasoned that Shepard was far too large to infiltrate _anything_ properly – the man was a biblical giant, standing at 8 feet tall – and was still expected to grow further.

Yet still, reading the reports she had, the Turian found that the human had time and time again proven the impossible in his various defences for the Alliance.

"But surely you know – when one overextends their grip…" She left her words hanging for the man to continue.

"They become open for attack." Shepard added, without pause. Those were General Hera's words – the Turian General who trained Commander Shepard in hand-to-hand combat.

Nihilus smiled to herself, the emotion barely present on her war-torn mandibles.

"We will "cut to the chase", as you humans say." Anderson then cleared his throat.

"Nihilus' job is to evaluate you, formally, for Spectre candidacy. And your job is to secure and retrieve the Prothean Beaconon Eden Prime. We've received word ahead that a small fleet of unidentified ships is travelling fast to the planet."

Shepard remained silent for a minute, his mind deliberating on possible strategies for this unknown enemy.

"How large is the oncoming fleet, sir?" The Alliance soldier asked.

"I know what you're thinking son, and _no_. The Alliance cannot spare any ships to attack this thing. We have _never_ encountered anything like it before, and we don't want our forces annihilated if it proves to be too much." Anderson said sternly, almost like a father would to their son. Shepard nodded.

"Then we're the scouts. And Eden Prime's colonies will be sacrificed." He noted. Anderson's expression went dark.

"Yes. This is a Prothean artefact, Shepard. With any luck-" Shepard held a hand up, holding back a look of disgust.

"I don't need your reasoning, sir. Set me on the ground, and I'll be good to go." Anderson sighed, and nodded.

"Alright then. You two, get saddled up. Commander, it's your mission – so you can pick your squad." Shepard then smiled, and set off, with Nihilus trailing behind him in quick tow.

(…)

"Jenkins, re-prime your shields."

"Huh? They're already on, sir." Leanne Jenkins quipped back, looking at the blue glow of her body as her shields kicked in. Shepard strode over to her and tapped a few buttons on his omni-tool.

"Remember – Blue is standby. Green is active. If you forget that, you die." A blush grew on the scorned trooper's face as she looked down and re-calibrated her shields.

"Yes sir." She didn't bother to defend herself, as she knew the man would have some comeback prepared, or he'd talk about his "golden rule".

"Remember the golden rule, team." Shepard announced, with no hint of mirth in his voice. Nihilus gave the human a questionable look.

"Golden rule?" She inquired. Alenko and Jenkins shook their heads and sighed, prepared to recite their Commander's number one tenet.

"No god-damn dying." The two soldiers drawled back to Nihilus, eliciting a laugh from the Turian Spectre.

"Alright then, "no god-damn dying" it is." As Nihilus geared up for a drop to the surface of Eden Prime, Shepard kept her within the Normandy with a firm grip.

"Like hell you're going without us."

"I work better on my own, Commander!" She yelled through the whirring winds that seeped in through the open bottom of the Normandy.

Shepard smiled to the Turian woman.

"And this is my mission. I don't care that you're a Spectre, Nihilus. You're under my command until we get back on this ship!" He said, grabbing her by her armour and dropping out of the ship, onto the fields of Eden Prime.

Jenkins and Alenko followed, uneasily – the battered winds of Eden Prime striking against their faces.

With a heavy "thud", Shepard braced for impact as his feet hit the ground, letting his armour's built-in mass effect dampeners absorb the g-force of the landing. He took a second to breath, and led his team forward silently.

A red sky flew above Eden Prime's rolling hills and quiet settlements, thoroughly unsettling the group.

"Covering more ground would've been beneficial to this mission, Commander." Nihilus whispered, taking quick cover, with only her favourite pistol equipped.

Shepard nodded to her.

"We know our target, and we'll know our enemy soon enough. There's no need to splinter off. Now shut up, and cover me." He ordered, scouting ahead to see the low-flying, tiny drones that were hidden amongst the shrubbery of Eden Prime. With two, quick, silent shots, the drones were shot out of the air.

"Move up. Stick five meters apart."

"Firing line, sir?" Jenkins asked, in a hushed manner.

"Correct. Nihilus, I want you covering and attacking right flank. We want to avoid detection for as long as possible." The turian soldier nodded to her "commander".

"You think we're going to attract some noise with the pickup?" Kaida asked.

"…More than likely." Shepard replied, before holding a hand up.

The squad of four took up positions, with Shepard leading them in a line. A heavy silence fell over Eden Prime as a Geth Dreadnought soared soundlessly overhead, penetrating the planet's atmosphere.

A mental switch flipped in Shepard's brain.

"Geth."

"Crap." Kaida cursed.

Two Geth soldiers rounded the green hills, and the two sides engaged combat. Shepard provided covering fire, and deflected what bolts of plasma hit his armour, with relative ease. His squad mates got into positions behind boulders and quickly overpowered the synthetic soldiers.

"Move up." Shepard barked, vaulting over a chest-high slab of mined rock.

"We must be getting close to the dig site…" Jenkins remarked, slowly trailing her voice off as she saw a settler be violently impaled upon a Dragon's Tooth. The two Geth restraining the struggling human looked back to the source of audio, and readied their weapons.

Using a higher-level form of communication, more soldiers were alerted to the group's presence, and soon, a firefight begun.

"Fire!" Shepard ordered, rushing ahead to slam into the soldiers with an unrelenting, biotic force. He was lit with a blue glow of a mass effect field, easily marking him as friendly to Kaida and Nihilus. The Turian cloaked herself and snuck forwards to the distracted Geth, taking some out with clear pistol shots to the back of their "heads".

"Jenkins!" Kaida yelled, snapping back to the horrified trooper. Leanne Jenkins stood, mortified at the sight of the slowly degenerating husk that was impaled upon the alien machination.

"Jenkins! Get down!" When it was clear that Leanne was tuning out her world, Alenko yanked the marine down, just in time to save her from being riddled with plasma holes.

"Alenko, Jenkins – covering fire, god-damn it! We've got a few live ones here!" Shepard yelled, ducking behind cover as more enemy Geth poured out into a small clearing that centred around some Prothean ruins.

"Leanne! Pull yourself together – now's not the time to lose your head!" Kaida gave the soldier a good slap, and sure enough, the woman snapped out of her shock.

"K-K-Kaid-da! They… They…"

"Make them pay, private! Cover the leader!" Nihilus yelled, cloaking herself once more to pick off some straggling enemy soldiers.

Leanne panted heavily, and nodded to herself.

"A-Alright!" She yelled, brandishing her assault rifle.

Shepard, meanwhile, slammed and charged forward, breaking the enemy's line of fire with relative ease. He was getting exhausted now, but with the added fire of two extra guns, he'd find rest soon. The two soldiers currently defending their near-defenceless position roared as the Geth around them fell.

A quick calm settled in, Shepard caught his breath.

"Good work, Nihilus. Alenko, solid work. Jenkins – I don't need any unnecessary deaths on my mission. If you feel like you might _seize_ _up_ again, you can feel free to call in for a pick up." The Commander's tone was deadly serious, lacking any sort of compassion.

"I-I…"

"Answer me, private."

"S-sir, I just haven't… I've never seen…"

"The galaxy holds terrors greater than that, Jenkins. You have a conscious decision to make on whether or not to harden up, or let it consume you."

"O-Okay…"

"I didn't hear you, private. Are you going to follow me on this mission, and listen to _every word_ I say?" The Commander asked, sternly. The strict tone shot through Leanne's ears, and she nodded, dutifully.

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Good." He smiled to her, and quickly wiped it away when he turned his attention to the two women poking their heads out from behind cover. From his higher vantage point, he could easily make out another, barely breathing soldier.

One was a sniper, even if she didn't use the weapon in front of Shepard. He could tell from her stance, and the busted rifle leaning up against their cover. Her slowly fading grip on her rifle was a quick tell, as well.

' _She hasn't had much practice with the thing…'_ He thought, before turning his sight to the other woman, for a split second.

She was your everyday marine, sent to this planet to keep the peace, and ward off any would-be pirates and invaders. She had a harsh face, and short, black hair.

"Thank God you got here when you did… You guys saved our asses."

"It's our duty, soldier. Is he wounded?" Shepard marked the soldier with his visor, and quickly diagnosed the man. He stepped past the two women and crouched down to wounded man.

"Yes, by plasma fire, sir. His shield gave out a few minutes before your squad showed up." The dark-skinned, possibly Indian woman spoke up. The Commander thanked her, and brought the soldier's face up.

With one hand, he brought out a hefty supply of medi-gel, and generously applied some to the soldier's wounds, which quickly sealed.

"Name and rank." Shepard commanded him, simply. The soldier simply breathed, and coughed up some blood in the process. His vision was fleeting, and his heartbeat slowly fading. Shepard narrowed his eyes at the man.

"Shit… He's done for. Briggs! Briggs, stay awake buddy!" The armour-clad soldier said, crouching down to her squad mate.

"He's choking on his own blood…" The Commander noticed, idly. He contorted a purple, psychic field around his hand, and pressed it against the marine's chest. He dragged his hand upwards from the centre of the wounded man's stomach, melding the mass effect energies to draw the fluid from the man's lungs.

With a short, guttural retch, the man coughed and sputtered up, and breathed for sweet air, lurching upwards from the rough ground.

The two women looked on in astonishment.

"Jesus…"

"Name and rank, soldier." Shepard asked again. The man looked to the Commander, and panted.

"Corporal E-Emile Briggs, sir. O-of the 212." He said, lying himself back down.

"You two, name and ranks." At his words, both women made sharp salutes.

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Wiliams of the 212, sir." Ashley answered.

"Private Niralia Bhatia, sir."

"At ease. Tell me what happened here."

"Put simply, it was a Geth invasion, sir. They've wiped out over half the colony after some excavators dug that… _thing_ up…"Nirali answered. John nodded to her, and hoisted the recovering soldier on his shoulders, Emile groaning as the giant man did so.

"Let's get this one out of here."

The group, now with the addition of two more soldiers, deposited the wounded man in an abandoned monitoring outpost. Leaving him clear to signal for help, they pressed forward to a train-line, which would take them to the Prothean dig site.

"We got more Geth incoming!" Kaida yelled.

"Let's make 'em pay…" Ashley affirmed, priming her rifle.

John brought up the group's rear, covering for any flanking attacks or leftover Geth insurgents that might've straggled behind their peers.

With four rifles, a walking tank, and a sneaking Spectre, the group annihilated what resistance came their way, and covered themselves well whilst they boarded the line towards the dig site. Eden Prime's sky reddened further as an ungodly, insect like ship descended from above.

"What the fuck…" Nihilus said to herself, quietly, her mandibles snarling as a harsh wind blew past her.

"That's… Not a Geth ship… Is it?" Jenkins asked.

"No. No it is not." Kaida affirmed.

"We've got our target, we know our enemy. We will complete our mission." John Shepard announced.

"Nirali, I want far-range cover from you. Ashley, Kaida, and Leanne – keep any more of these Geth away from the artefact. Nihilus and I will break their line and secure that Beacon."

"What about the colonists, sir?" Ashley asked.

"I'm afraid my mission was to secure the Prothean Beacon, and nothing else, Williams. If-"

"Are you fucking kidding me? You're going to let these people die at the hands of these things!?" Shepard went silent, and shook his head.

"The Geth are here for the Beacon. That ship over there – that's here for the Beacon, too. When we take it, they'll chase us, and leave this colony. If you have a problem with being tailgated by a fleet Geth warships, then you can take it up with my CO. Do I make myself clear?"

"…Yes, sir." Ashley answered.

"Good. Shut up, and follow me."

The group did just that, and Nihilus managed to sneak on ahead, with Shepard's orders.

"What have we got, Spectre?" Shepard whispered, through radio.

"We've… It's another Spectre. Saren Arterius…"

"Explain."

"She's working with the Geth. They're conversing… Saren's got some implants on her face, and I think it's translating the messages from… Shit… She said something about priming a bomb – she's going to blow this place up!"

A slack screw fell from the outcrop the crew had arrived on, and many Geth became alert. Some more synthesised clicking and bubbling was heard before the Turian grunted.

"Fan out and stop them. I need to destroy that Beacon."

' _Fuck.'_ John thought. He activated his shields, and ordered Nihilus to retreat back.

"I'll go after Saren. I need you all to defend this point." He ordered them.

"I'm heading with you, then." Nihilus said to him, Turian adrenaline pumping through her veins. Shepard nodded, and smiled to her. He swapped weapons for something a little more… Personal.

"It's a plan. Break!"

He stormed ahead with a biotic charge, and blasted three Geth out of ten with two heavy shotgun blasts. Quickly, he and Nihilus were on foot to stop Saren, picking off the enemy in front of them. They zipped past some heavy mining equipment and any broken obstacles in their way with unrealistic ease, swiftly catching their prey.

"Stop! We've got you pinned, Saren." Nihilus said, sternly. The other Spectre chuckled as she held her hands up in a calm gesture. In front of the Turian woman was the green, glowing artefact, which was already beginning to crack under its own power.

"You can't stop what's about to come, Nihilus. And you won't stop me!" She yelled, whipping back and firing a quick few bullets at her fellow Spectre. Shepard was quick, however, and moved himself in front of the shots with a biotic barrier enabled, deflecting the projectiles.

"You think the ape's got a shot, do you? The Council must be scraping the bottom of the barr-" The woman was cut off as Shepard slammed into her, engaging in a furious fist fight. He disarmed her easily, crushing the pistol and it's heat clips in his hand. Saren smiled to him and launched an assault back at him, knocking the titanic man back with a synthetically enhanced biotic push of her own.

She back up to the edge of the balcony where the Beacon stood, and smiled to the pair.

"If you think the Council's poster boy has a chance of stopping what's to come, then the galaxy is doomed, Nihilus." She stepped further back, and fell off the edge of the dig site, disappearing with a cloaking device.

Shepard lunged after her, but lost sight, and cursed to himself.

"Fuck, the Beacon's collapsing!" He lifted his hand up in an open palm, and stared back to the Spectre.

"Cover me, I'll try and reassemble this thing!" He said, channelling his biotic energies into the quickly deforming artefact.

"We've got no time, Commander! Alenko has just said that they've found the explosives the Geth planted!"

"Just tru-"

A green, ethereal tendril lashed outwards from the Prothean Beacon, and invaded Shepard's mind.

His vision faded, and his body fell to the ground, limp.

* * *

A/N: I'll update this series when I want to.

By all means, ask any other questions you may have, but please refrain from asking about release dates.


	2. Liara 1 (Fluff)

A/N: And here we start with Liara, clearly the best girl.

Ah fuck, who am I kidding? Every girl is best girl. Especially every boy-turned-girl.

Because I like weird shit.

* * *

Shepard was broken. During the year he spent, flying in and out of the high orbit of Alchera, his mind was warped.

He held on, through death itself, with the ties he made in life.

Through his loved ones, he held on to a thread of life.

Through Tali…

" _I… I just… I don't know if you're_ _ **you**_ _anymore, Shepard!"_

Through Garrus…

" _You come back after a whole year, and expect things to be normal? I don't even… I don't know if I can, Shepard."_

He gritted his teeth and bore through the recruitment of his team of specialists. He'd done a few dozen missions for Cerberus before "requesting" a "few hours" of leave.

Yeah, this was personal.

He darted his glance around, prying his thoughts from painful memories.

Illium was beautiful.

The people danced and sung, as the world went roundabout. At its highest levels, Shepard ignored whatever crimes and deals went down below.

Hell, the man ignored a helluva lot that day.

"Shepard." Miranda urged him.

"Shepard!" Jacqueline repeated.

' _I ask for leave, and he keeps me babysat.'_ The man thought, his opinion towards the Illusive Man further souring.

"If I've learnt anything from the past few days of travel with you two, it's that you're around when bad shit happens. For a few moments…" He stopped in his tracks, held his hands up, and turned around to face the two combat experts.

"…Just please; stay the _fuck_ away from me. I'd rather not have to return back to my ship in an awkward silence because another person I _thought_ loved me says they _don't_." He implored them.

Miranda bit her bottom lip, and held the urge back to repeat the Illusive Man's orders back to her Commander.

"I'd rather return in silence, with no witnesses. Do I make myself clear?"

"…Yes, sir." Jacqueline said, leading Miranda away from the man. He nodded to them, and loosened up. There was an odd, uneasy feeling in his heart. He was in suspense.

He held on before.

And now, those bonds were slipping away from him.

He wanted to see a friend. A lover.

Liara had been befriended him before she made her intentions as a romantic interest clear. Beyond anything, she wanted his companionship, as he did from her. The Commander softly palmed the melted iron locket in his pocket – a half-annihilated keepsake from before his "death".

It still held a now sun-bleached image of his Asari companion in it. Whilst his flesh baked under Amada's solar rays, the thought of _them_ , kept him alive. The locket was to Liara as the tiny shield generator was to Tali, not counting the various other trinkets he kept on his person.

He strode upwards, further out of the cheery commotion of Illium's markets, to where their Administrator held her office.

' _Administering muscle relaxants.'_ The synthetic voice of his suit-board AI quipped.

"Please don't." He mumbled back.

Even in the 12 months since he'd seen her, since she'd seen him, so much had changed.

At the bottom of the stairs leading towards her office, Shepard waited for some time. No one dared to question the biblically resurrected giant, nor why he was staring grimly at a door.

' _Just go in.'_

And so his mind shut off temporarily, as he stalked his way to the reception area for Liara's office.

"I'm here to see Madam T'Soni." He stated to her receptionist, robotically.

Immediately Nyxeris' heart jumped, having not heard nor sensed the man's presence in the slightest.

"C-Commander Shepard, o-of course, she's… She'll be right with you…" Said the assistant, pressing a button which opened Liara's doors to Shepard.

His consciousness snapped back to his control, and his breath seized for a moment.

She sat before him, briefly not noticing the man – her paramour – in front of her.

The coy Asari maiden Shepard met trapped in a mine had changed so much, it seemed. Her eyes were focussed ferociously on a task at hand, her hands moving quickly across her desk and several holopads strewn across it.

Illium's sun bore down upon her back from her glorious view of the city, and in a corner behind her, a messy bed laid.

She looked tired.

As if for eight months, she'd been restlessly and endlessly trying to save him. As soon as she'd received news of Cerberus' project, she was out in the galaxy, looking for a way to get the resources to locate and secure her lover.

For if there was the slightest chance that the galaxy's hope could've been saved, Cerberus took it.

And if there was the slightest chance that Liara would be reunited with _her_ Shepard, then she'd take it.

Her body seemed to lag behind her brain – her hardened combative sense told her someone was near. Slowly, she tore herself away from her datapads, and looked upwards.

Her eyes lit up.

Yearning, love, and an overwhelming sense of relief flooded the room.

Before Nyxeris could open her mouth to speak to her boss, Liara feebly fingered a button, shutting the door to her office.

"Shepard!" She exclaimed, standing from her desk and darting to her lover. Tears pricked at his eyes, and his arms opened of their own accord. He was numb to the sensations at first, but the Asari's warmth coursed through him.

And then, he wept, and his arms engaged around the lovely Asari maiden.

"L-Liara…"

"I'm here, John… By the Goddess… It's good to have you back…" She choked, through soft, warm tears.

"Liara…" At first it didn't feel _real_ to him. He clung closer to the Asari woman and sobbed, her warmth against his.

"I'm here, John…" She whispered, rocking the man gently.

A thread reconnected, and his tears stopped.

A thread reconnected, and his lips met hers.

With this reconnection, a piece of the man's shattered psyche locked itself back into place.

By the sunset of Illium, they'd bedded each other, and as John held Liara, the Galaxy seemed a little more hopeful.

* * *

A/N: WELCUM

TO DE DELICIOUS

PRIMO

BEECH


End file.
